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MAY YOUR DAYS BE MERRY AND BRIGHT! Today we pray you are filled to overflowing with the joy of the Lord. That all who come in contact with you sense the presence of God. May they know that your light comes from the living Savior Jesus Christ. We bless you with every spiritual gift you were destined to carry. As Mary carried …

A few years ago I woke up on New Years Day with a little grumble in my heart. Truth be told, it was a big grumble. As I went to the Lord to find out why I was crabby before the day even started I realized I wasn’t hopeful for the next year. The year before was a very hard year …

Today is a beautiful autumn day. The weather is a little warm for my liking, but the wind is blowing, signaling change — a new season is coming, and that makes my heart giddy. What is it about change and newness that feels so good? The hope, the anticipation, the letting go — I love it all. I love it, …

“God, the Spouse of my soul, God, who makes my soul fruitful for eternal life — Him alone will I love and nothing other than Him.” -St. Augustine The moment she’d waited for all day long was nearly here. She had helped her sister prepare everything so it would be perfect, but nothing was ever quite good enough for her …

“Congratulations on your third baby!”, “Best wishes on your upcoming marriage!”, “Fantastic news on your engagement!” and similar statements started becoming more and more common as people I knew celebrated milestones. I’d often wondered when my time was coming and asked God how much longer. Maybe that’s part of the reason I entered and stayed in a toxic relationship. Because …

Have you been in a bad relationship? I, like many women (and some men) I’ve known, have experienced trauma from being abused. Whether it was physical, psychological and/or sexual abuse by someone you trusted — who was supposed to love and care for you — or a total stranger, abuse damages your soul. It has left many of us fearful …

I’ve struggled with disappointment a lot in my life. This little voice somewhere deep inside always tells me I’ll be let down. It’s a cycle I’ve seen, but I didn’t know why I felt that way. My default response to hope was always, “It’ll probably never happen, but that’s OK.” Are you nodding your head right about now, thinking you’re …

Virginity doesn’t mean what it used to mean. Before the easy access of pornography, virginity often meant that someone was pure in their life. Not so much now. Pornography has so oversexualized our culture that you don’t even have to watch it to know what it looks like. You just have to watch the latest Nicki Minaj music video, which leaves very little to the imagination. In the past, men would flip …

Years ago someone told me that God had written on His calendar the day that I would meet my future husband, so I should stop worrying and enjoy the single life until that day arrived. If I had known an entire forest would need to be killed to produce the required number of yearly calendars, I may not have responded …

Not too long ago I was in a relationship with a very sweet woman that I cared for deeply. We patiently dated for two months before I asked her to be my girlfriend. I was really excited to take this step in our relationship. I wanted to tell her how much I cared for her. I wanted to hold her hand. …